MAY 2012

PICNIC ON THE AMALFI COAST

05012012 I haven't been able to stop dreaming of long lazy days spent sunbathing on the Amalfi Coast... Picnic On The Amalfi Coast | coco+kelley
05022012 With summer temperatures and humidity soaring, I've been drinking mostly cool white wines for the past couple of weeks. Sadly, a surprising number have been neutral and boring or too heavy to refresh. But not this 2010 Vesevo Beneventano Falanghina "V" from Italy's Campania region, which is mouth-filling but also fresh and vivid. Its flavors are pure, crisp citrus and tangy minerals yet it has a lovely honeyed finish. Aromas of piney woods, white flowers and juicy pears tantalize. A Fresh Italian White | Zester
05032012 Taurasi is a hilltop village in Campania’s Irpinia region, high in the Apennine mountains. The red wine that grows here is made from Aglianico, and belongs to that category of full-bodied, austerely tannic reds at the most serious end of the Italian wine spectrum. Despite its ‘Barolo of the south’ tag, Taurasi is not one of the country’s better known wines. Its reputation among specialists has long been assured by Mastroberardino's spectacularly long-lived reserves, but for decades this historic winery was a flagship without a fleet. Wider recognition of Taurasi’s potential has only come more recently, with the increase in the number of producers and the upgrading of what used to be very uneven quality standards. Italy's 10 most exciting wine styles | decanter.com
05042012 Walking down Via Camerelle on Italy’s Capri island once, I saw a statuesque woman with wavy golden-brown hair and flawless bronze skin. She was looking through a shop window, perhaps contemplating whether she had room in her long, slender arms to carry one more shopping bag. She looked elegant and effortlessly put-together in her white shirt, white Capri pants (of course!), and dark, movie-star sunglasses. And since I love to make up stories in my head, I decided that she was either a jet-setting model, actress, or contessa, who keeps a lovely villa on Via Tragara, overlooking the dazzling Bay of Naples and those Faraglioni rocks. She and her dashing lover will rendezvous at the bar of Hotel Quisisana, where they’ll have a drink or two. With red-painted lips, she’ll sip her Quisi Royale – a purée of pesca (peach) and fragole (strawberry) with Laurent Perrier Champagne. Caprese Bites with Speck Ham on Sour Cream Biscuits | Tartine and Apron Strings
05052012 Instead of navigating overcrowded Pompeii, why not explore another intriguing ancient city—resting just five to 15 feet underwater. You’ll be snorkeling past eerily beautiful mosaic-floored villas at Italy’s Parco Archeologico Sommerso di Baia in no time. Thanks to bradyseism—the gradual raising or lowering of earth due to filling magma chambers—the neighborhood of Baia, 30 minutes west of Naples, now rests in about five to 15 feet of water. Guided tours for both snorkelers and divers cover eight underwater (and four terrestrial) sites like Villa Protiro and Portus Julius. Intricate black-and-white mosaic floors, loose statues, and frescoes mingle with sea stars and anemone shoals...for now. As recently as 1984, the sea floor raised six feet. Coolest underwater attractions | Yahoo! Travel
05062012 As the ferry nears and I disembark, I wonder how Hollywood could have found this isoletta so perfect off the coast of Naples. I mean, sneeze and you’ll miss Procida. It’s that small at only 3 kilometers long. The beaches are rocky, as are most along the Bay of Naples but take a walk through this island and explore Via San Rocco and its beautiful pink houses… afterall, this is where Matt Damon rode a scooter down its narrow byway in “The Talented Mr. Ripley.” As you pass by the sunflower yellow church of Madonna della Grazie, take some time to sit and watch the tiny fishing boats. Grab a spot along the wall and get in tune with the ebb and flow of life again. You won’t find garish souvenir shops on Procida and you just may find yourself again. It washes life in shades of pastels and offers the perfect spot for a romantic mezzogiorno. Off the Beaten Path to Procida | Wanderlust Women Travel
05072012 "I have this strange memory as a child – perhaps I was four or five – and I was opera-singing in the garden." It paid off. The Italian soprano has just made her Royal Opera House debut singing Mimi in its current production of La Bohème. She lives between London and Avellino, in southern Italy. This autumn she makes her New York Met debut as Leonora in David McVicar's Il Trovatore. Observations One to Watch: Carmen Giannattasio, Opera singer | The Independent
05082012 Renowned men’s tailored clothing company Cesare Attolini of Naples has opened its first store outside of Italy, on Madison Avenue at the corner of 67th Street in New York. Within the 2,500-square-foot space, clients can meet with the store’s tailor to select from nearly 1,000 swatches of fine English, Italian, and Scottish fabrics for bespoke suits, which take eight to 10 weeks to complete in Italy. Cesare Attolini Takes Manhattan | Salon Deauville
05092012 This fall, Whitewall’s photographer Rafael Y. Herman visited Kiton’s atelier in Naples, Italy. He captured some incredible moments, but I was wondering, since you grew up in the atelier, what do you think makes Kiton’s atelier in Naples unique? Antonio de Matteis (Kiton CEO): It’s unique because it is impossible to replace the atelier with 350 tailors in this world. They all work together, they work all by hand, and this for sure makes the Kiton atelier unique. And the place where they work, the atmosphere they create for the company, is very special. The only company in Napoli left today that can say they have 350 tailors is Kiton.  Atelier Visit: Kiton in Napoli, Italy | Whitewall Magazine
05102012 I love Ischia so much that I had planned a return trip for Mother's Day weekend again this year with my friend Kristen. My husband and son needed to experience "Heaven On Earth" too before we leave Italy. David and Mayer joined me last weekend in paradise. Negombo on the Island of Ischia is Heaven On Earth, {in my opinion}. Heaven On Earth | gibsonchop.com
05112012 As if the Amalfi coast weren’t paradise enough, there are flowers everywhere. Two of our favorite gardens are in Ravello: the Villa Rufolo and the Villa Cimbrone, both of which pair gorgeous flowers with spectacular views of the sea. 5 More Reasons We Love the Amalfi Coast (in Photos!) | Walks of Italy
05122012 Although we left Sunday, we did have a few hours to spend lounging on the beach and doing a little shopping. But, in all honesty I felt like a little kid again because I couldn’t wait to jump in the Mediterranean Ocean on the Positano Beaches! I have never felt so free and relaxed before. I could literally float effortlessly in the waters and swim out to as far as I wanted, all the while I had a view of the quaint Positano town hanging on to the cliffs towering above me. The Surreal World of Positano | Blonde and A Broad
05132012 I'm dreaming of summer and of Italy. Together. Maybe it's because my calendar keeps reminding me each time I check a date... or the painting of Positano in my hallway which keeps calling out to me? So I'm off to Positano (still dreaming) and you can come with me! Pastel Positano | Especially Beatiful
05142012 I'm not really the sort of person that has favourite words but the simple word 'boat' conjures up all sorts of lovely thoughts.I saw this floating in the sea on my way back to work after lunch at Fornillo beach. I like boats, don't you? A favourite word | Positano Daily Photo
05152012 Velia is the Italian (and Latin) name of the ancient town of Elea located on the territory of the comune of Ascea, Salerno, Campania. It is most widely known as the home of the philosophers Parmenides and Zeno of Elea and the Eleatic school. Velia | Heritage Key
05162012 The irony about Naples, a cornerstone of many Mediterranean itineraries, is that the approach via the Bay of Naples is actually more beautiful than the city itself. Indeed, most cruise travelers, upon debarking at the chaotic port, immediately head out of town to the area’s more notable attractions—the Amalfi Coast, Pompeii, and charming Sorrento. But Naples is worth a look, too. It was settled by ancient Greeks, but through the centuries, Italians, Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Germans, and Normans also lived here, and there’s definitely a frenetic, multicultural ambience. At the very least, you’ve got to try the pizza. Most Beautiful European Ports to Sail Into | Condè Nast Traveler
05172012 Carlo Luglio spins a colourful story about Enzo Gragnagniello, an Italian musician. In search for his musical roots, Enzo goes on a film journey to revisit the places and memories that shaped his sensitivity as an artist. Together with the character, the spectator discovers a variety of influences,  ranging from soul to Italian songs, that converge in his art to make a coherent whole. The character says, ‘the task if art is to remind us who we are’, and the focus of Luglio’s musical documentary is precisely on self-discovery. Roots | Krakow Film Festival
05182012 The start is more than promising: A helicopter shot presents an aerial view of Naples, zeroing in on a kitschy "royal carriage" transporting newlyweds to a wedding palace that wouldn't be out of place on the Jersey Shore. Inside, boisterous wedding parties are entertained by Enzo (Raffaele Ferrante), a former "Big Brother" contestant making a living by promoting his 15 minutes of fame. Having a celebrity in their midst makes the wedding guests go wild, including Luciano (Aniello Arena), the family cut-up who loves to perform. When the party is over and Luciano and his family head home to their apartments in a crumbling old building typical of Naples, there's a palpable disconnect between the phony glare of the marriage factory and the run-down darkness of their working-class digs. Reality | Variety
05192012 Enzo Coccia has an evangelical air as he discusses his spring pizza – piled with asparagus, buffalo mozzarella, sheep's cheese, lard and beans. "They may say I am a heretic, but I just want to experiment," says the controversial exponent of the Italian trend for what are being dubbed gourmet, or "ultra-pizzas". What makes Coccia different is that he has dared to open for business in the town where pizza was first popularised and where in 1889 a pizzaiolo named his new mozzarella, tomato and basil pizza – mimicking the white, red and green of the Italian flag – after Margherita of Savoy. Naples' staple got a further boost from the 1954 Italian comedy The Gold of Naples, where Sofia Loren plays a pizzaiola in the working-class district of Materdei. Five decades on, Starita, the local restaurant which kitted her out for the role, is still pulling in the crowds. "I am dead against these gourmet pizzas – a pizza restaurant must be quick and cheap and turn out at least 400 pizzas a night," said Antonio Starita, 70, whose grandfather opened the restaurant in 1901. "I have seen cream being used, and it doesn't get worse than that," he added, while pounding dough beneath the obligatory photos of the pope and former Napoli footballer Diego Maradona. Naples chefs take sides in the 'ultra pizza' wars | The Observer
05202012 Napoli won the Italian Cup final 2-0 on Sunday to shatter Juventus' hopes of a domestic double and ruin Alessandro del Piero's final game for the Old Lady. Second-half goals by Edinson Cavani and Marek Hamsik gave Napoli their first Italian Cup win since 1987 when Diego Maradona led the team in an unprecedented period of success for the club. After winning Serie A and going unbeaten through the season, Juventus were aiming for a first domestic double since 1995. "It's almost unthinkable to beat Juventus over 90 minutes when they hadn't lost all season. It was an achievement within an achievement," Napoli coach Walter Mazzarri said. After the celebrations die down, Napoli will turn their attentions to trying to keep hold of star players like Cavani, Hamsik and Ezequiel Lavezzi, who have all been linked with big-money moves away from the club. Napoli upset Juve to win Italian Cup | CNN.com
05212012 To understand the man, sometimes you have to have met him as a boy. To understand the full scale of Chelsea’s achievement in winning the Champions League in such dramatic style on Saturday night, you had to be in the bowels of the Stadio San Paolo, Naples, late on the night of February 21. This team should have lost to Napoli, could have been defeated by Benfica and needed a miracle to get past Barcelona. We have seen his Chelsea move from being boys to adults; now, with this victory they have become old men, capping off glorious careers. In this case, fact is far stranger than fiction, and Chelsea’s history-makers must be saluted for making the impossible possible. From the despair of Naples to the joy of Munich | Irish Examiner
05222012 A project to drill deep into the heart of a supervolcano in southern Italy has finally received the green light, despite claims that the drilling would put the population of Naples at risk of small earthquakes or an explosion. Italian news agency ANSA quoted project coordinator Giuseppe De Natale of Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology as saying that the office of Naples mayor Luigi de Magistris had approved the drilling of a pilot hole 500 metres deep. The Campi Flegrei Deep Drilling Project was set up by an international collaboration of scientists to assess the risks posed by the Campi Flegrei caldera, a geological formation just a few kilometres to the west of Naples that formed over thousands of years following the collapse of several volcanoes. Researchers believe that if it erupted, Campi Flegrei could have global repercussions, potentially killing millions of people and having a major effect on the climate, but that such massive eruptions were extremely rare. Scientists to drill supervolcano | Stuff.co.nz
05232012 The narrow road with sandstone block retaining walls on each side, overgrown with gnarled roots, begins at a the little Piazza of the Two Gates, an unusual sight with with two narrow streets leading from two archways side by side. Just 300 or so feet from the Twin Gates down Via Catteneo was the splendid, ornate Villa of Giovanbattista della Porta (1535-1615). From the age of 15, he had studied "natural magic" and in 1558 he published a book on all sorts of dark arts which gained great notoriety across Europe but also brought strong accusations of witchcraft and his engaging in strange experiments, rituals and rites. The negative reports in Naples were quickly hushed up. "The Academy of the Secrets" is said to have been a members-only ritual chamber, and is believed to have been somewhere beneath the area of della Porta's villa. It was open only to those who had discovered the "natural secrets."  The "Academy of the Secrets" | Napoli Underground
05242012 Naples in southern Italy gives access to Pompeii and the island of Capri. Magical Med | The West Australian
05252012 This undated photo courtesy of Nanette Lepore shows designer Nanette Lepore, right, on a boat with her cousin, Lisa Lepore, as they travel from Naples to the Amalfi Coast in Italy. Fashion designers often live the jet-set life they love to mimic on their runways. They travel for business, they travel for pleasure. They are always looking for inspiration, and they take a lot of photographs. Fashion jetsetters can travel light -- and in style | The Daily News
05262012 Legend tells that the beach in Meta, in 1500, was the landing spot of the Saracen pirate Alì and where he was heroically confronted by the people of Meta. During this fight Alì is said to have died, and from the cry of liberation ‘Alì murì’ (Alì has died), derives its name Alimuri. What is certain is that every summer the wide beach is populated by hundreds of people who come from all over to find refreshment from the heat with a dip in the sea or under umbrellas. Alimuri Beach | Sorrento Coast
05272012 Capri Palace Hotel & Spa features 77 beautiful rooms, among them 11 suites unique in their special character to accommodate the most demanding traveler. Each of these richly decorated rooms, which include amazing artworks and different antiques, offer breathtaking views over the island and the gulf. One of the hotel’s greatest features is the “Warhol”. It’s a total 545 square feet suite with a pool, and decorated with oil paintings of Warhol’s famous artworks (including his unique “Campbell Soup”) realized by Italian artist Michele Costantini. Mediterranean, charming and Italian | Pure
05282012 Hotel Raito features rooms, outdoor pools, and a gourmet restaurant that all overlook the sea while the hotel gives visitors a feel of elegance, beachside chic, and dedicated service by the staff. For fun take a stroll down to Vietri sul Mare, a seaside village off the Amalfi Coast, get a massage at Expure Spa, enjoy lunch at II Golfo, and retire after a wonderful day with dinner at Hotel Raito. Experience one of Italy’s finest hotels on the Amalfi Coast at Hotel Raito. Hotel Raito – Vietri sul Mare | stupidDOPE.com
05292012 Enter Un Bateau pour Capri by Eau d’Italie Le Sirenuse - it’s a liquid celebration of those well-coiffed, perfectly put together women and the oh-so-chic parties of yesteryear—part snapshot, yes, but gloriously embellished by the imaginings of time. Certainly Un Bateau pour Capri contains a goodly amount of nostalgia with lyrical notes like peony, freesia, peach, jasmine, and musk. Un Bateau pour Capri | Sirenuseblog.com
05302012 One of my honeymoon destinations was the Amalfi Coast. This picture is taken from our hotel room terrace, looking on the Tirrenian Sea. The landscape is magnificent: the beauty of the nature is amplified by the uniqueness of the houses and hotels built in the rock along the coast. Summertime + awards | classiq
05312012 In spite of the troubles on the market, the first couple of Facebook have been enjoying a cruise around Italy's Amalfi Coast after spending two days exploring Rome on their honeymoon. He wore plane Adidas sandals and she traipsed alongside him in sneakers as the two boarded a Pershing 37 luxury vessel to view the coastline in all its glory. The couple rented the entire boat, which can fit up to 12 people and can travel up to 45mph, according to company Amalfi Sails. The company is known to specialize in custom tours, shuttling customers to the most beautiful and must-see sights of the jagged coastline and surrounding islands of Capri, Ischia, Procida, and Li Galli. Facebook billionaire Mark Zuckerberg and new wife spring for luxury yacht ride around Italian coast on honeymoon | Daily Mail